Family that Opens the Park

[Thumper10]

I was just wondering, does anybody know how Disney chooses the lucky family that gets to help open the Magic Kingdom (or any of the other parks) in the morning? Do you have to be one of the very first families there in the morning or do they just randomly choose from the crowd? It would be great to hear from anyone who knows or has actually had the opportunity to do it.

[joanna71985]

The families are randomly chosen. But it definitely helps to be there early (as the families are chosen early).

[neumanzoo]

Mom & I laugh about this often - as much as we've been to Disney (and we've racked up trips), we've never been chosen for anything. Our friends went on their first visit and got upgraded from All-Stars to Animal Kingdom Lodge!

We would love to be the family chosen for the opening of a park!

[Cinderelliefan]

While Year of a Million Dreams was going on,'we were waiting in line (early, of course) at the Animal Kingdom. Some of the cast members starting talking with us and then one of them asked, "How would you like to be the first family in Animal Kingdom and ride the Kilmanjaro ride first?" Being the Disney Freaks we are, we were like....yes, we would LOVE that! So about 5 to 10 minutes before the park opened, they walked us through to the back to ride the Kilmanjaro Ride. We were the only ones in the truck and riding through before anyone else was able to make it back there. It was really great! But that was the only time anything like that ever happened.

After reading different posts on this website, everyone says.....if a cast member starts talking to you, start talking to them, you never know what might happen.

[NC_WDW_Daddy]

I've read stories and posts from families that have opened parks. They were all among the first to arrive and were up front when the cast members came out to greet everyone.